Side Effects (AwesomenessTV): West Coast Story
by ArianaUniverse
Summary: When Lexi tries to break up with Jarred, things go wrong and she needs a hero, Zak might just be that guy, but what would happen if Jason, Lexi's twin brother and Zak's best friend, found out? Fan fiction for Side Effects (AwesomenessTV Web Series)
1. Nightingale

**Lexi's POV**  
I sat in my living room, playing with the lining of my jean jacket. I was so nervous. But I had to do this. I had to dump Jarred. It's the only way... the only way things could get better, and I could try to be even a little normal. Normal... I can't remember the last time I was considered or considered myself as "normal." So much fucked up shit has happened in the last 6 months... it's all I know now. It may just have been 6 months, but it's felt like forever. an eternity.  
I heard a car door slam shut. It was Jarred. He always let himself in so I didn't bother getting the door for him. He barged in, first looking around to make sure no one was around, even though Jason was upstairs, he was oblivious to everything with his hard metal music turned all the way up and ignoring the world, it could be the apocalypse and we wouldn't even have the slightest idea. Then Jarred looked directly at me. I hesitated and stood up.  
"We have to talk..." I mumbled.  
"About what?" he demanded. "About Stevie, because I told you that's none of your goddamn business Lexi!"  
"No. About us, Jarred."  
"What about us?"  
"We... we're... over." I stuttered.  
"Excuse me?" he moved closer to me.  
"You heard me," I spoke up. "We're over. Done. You and I, not a thing anymore. Never will be," I smirked, proud of myself for finally standing up to him.  
I wasn't thinking clearly, obviously, I'd forgotten how Jarred doesn't like to be told what to do or dumped. He quickly grabbed both of my wrists and pinned me against the wall. I tried screaming but nothing came out of my throat. I tried breaking free, but that's when he picked me up, swung me over his shoulder, and threw me down on the couch. He then hovered above me, holding both of my arms together with one hand. With the other, he clenched his fist and swung it towards my face. The next thing I knew My lip felt puffy and I could feel blood streaming down my face. I tried begging him to stop but again, my voice wasn't cooperating. After swinging at my face a few more times, making it so one of my eyes was swollen shut, he grabbed my arm and flung my on the floor. I landed on my stomach with a bang. I could feel the floor shake beneath me.  
Come on Jason, please, please, come downstairs, I don't care for what, please, come down here and help me... nothing. I knew Jason wasn't going to come down. But that didn't keep me from hoping.  
Jarred grabbed my hair and yanked it, flipping me over onto my back. He pulled me up by my hair, just enough so I was sitting up, but the lower half of my body was still lying on the ground. I could see blood everywhere, all over the floor, the couch, my hair, my pants, my legs, it was everywhere. He then lifted up his foot and I knew what was coming next. His foot swung towards me with all its power, and with his black pleated boot, he kicked me in the stomach. I heaved over in pain and felt blood start to come out of my mouth. I wasn't sure if that was from a wound inside my mouth or from him kicking my stomach, and frankly, I didn't care. I expected him to kill me, right then and there.  
Suddenly, I could hear the faint sound of a car coming towards the house. I guess Jarred heard it too because he grabbed his stuff, kicked me one last time in the shin, and headed out the back door. I saw him disappear into the woods. Whoever's car that was, wasn't for us. They zoomed right past our house. I wondered if I was going to die. If I was going to lay there and bleed to death. I wondered if I had any broken bones. I thought my left leg was broken, but I wasn't positive. What would it matter anyways? No one would care.  
I curled up into a ball in the middle of the floor. Surprisingly, I hasn't cried yet. I didn't know why. Maybe it was the same reason my voice wasn't working. Maybe they both ran off and decided to leave me. But right then, I felt a tear stream down my face. At first I thought it was just another drop of blood but soon I felt more tears. Then more. Then the next thing I knew I was bawling. I covered my battered face in my sleeves and just cried.  
I don't know how long I cried for. It would've been 5 minutes, it could have been an hour. But it was long enough so that I ran out of tears. And when I ran out of tears, the blood began to dry. I could feel parts of the blood on my pants get crusty, making it harder for me to move my legs.  
I heard someone pull into the driveway. Oh great. Keith. First he's gonna help then he's just gonna give me shit about why I was even with Jarred in the first place. I prepared myself for whatever was coming to me. The front door flung open. It was Zak. My twin brother Jason's best friend. Jason must have invited him over. Zak began to head upstairs, but he stopped in mid step. Our eyes locked. He ran back down and over to me. He knelt on the ground and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around me.  
"What the hell happened?!" he demanded.  
"Jarred..." I managed to mumble under my breath.  
"I should've known! Son of a bitch! I'll kill him!" he clenched his fist and let go of me.  
"No.. it's.. my.. it's my fault" I stumbled over my words, my brain still fuzzy.  
"Bullshit!" he exclaimed.  
"It's true. I.. I tried breaking up with him."  
"What the fuck. I'm going to murder him!" he stood up and headed towards the door. I grabbed his arm, and he looked at me.  
I shook my head. "Please don't." I pulled him back. He sighed and helped me stand up. Then he led my upstairs into my bathroom. I sat down in my tub and he sat down next to me, outside of the tub. I looked at him as piano music started playing.  
"I can't sleep tonight,  
Wide awake, and so confused,  
Everything's in line,  
But I am bruised."  
He cupped his hands around my face, "I need a voice to echo,  
I need a light to take me home,"  
I smiled at him, "I kinda need a hero,  
Is it you?"  
He stood up, "I never see the forest for the trees,  
I could really use your melody,  
Baby, I'm a little blind,  
I think it's time,  
For you to find me."  
I stood up and pulled him closer, "Can you be my nightingale?  
Sing to me, I know you're there.  
"You could be, my sanity,  
Bring me peace, sing me to sleep," he wrapped his arms around me.  
"Say you'll be my nightingale."  
He took my jacket off, "Somebody speak to me,  
'Cause I'm feeling like hell,  
Need you to answer me,  
I'm overwhelmed."  
I pulled him into the tub next to me, "I need a voice to echo,  
I need a light to take me home"  
He took off my shirt, "I need a star to follow,  
I don't know,"  
"I never see the forest for the trees."  
He took his shirt off, "I could really use your melody."  
I took my pants off, "Baby, I'm a little blind."  
He took his off, "I think it's time,"  
I turned the shower water on, "For you to find me."  
We felt little droplets of the hot water land on our skin, "Can you be my nightingale?  
Sing to me, I know you're there."  
He ran his fingers through my hair, letting the water soak in it, "You could be,  
My sanity"  
I closed my eyes and let the water run down my face, "Bring me peace,  
Sing me to sleep."  
He held my face in his palms, "Say you'll be my nightingale."  
I looked down at the ground to see the blood washing down the drain, then up at him, locking eyes, "I don't know what I'd do without you, your words are like a whisper, come through, as long as you are with me here tonight, I'm good.  
Can you be my nightingale?" I rested my arms on his chest, "Feels so close, I know you're there."  
Zak leaned down and slowly pressed his lips against mine, pulling me closer. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled my as close as he could. I ran my fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss.  
Suddenly the door flings open and Jason storms in, "Hey! What's with all the racket in he-" he just looked at us.  
I pushed Zak away from me and scoffed. "God, I hate you. You're Satan," I looked at Jason, "He's Satan!" I glared at Zak, "Now get out of my bathroom before I make you get out." he chuckled and hopped out of the shower, grabbing his clothes. I turned the shower off and just stared at him. Jason was silent. Zak picked up a condom and a set of birth control pills off my counter and held them up so Jason could see them. "Well, look who's all about being prepared." I snatched them out of his hand and pushed him away. Quickly, I grabbed a towel off of my shelf and wrapped it around my body, I didn't want my brother seeing my in my bra and underwear, for god's sake. I really hoped he was buying it. Zak stormed out of my room and into Jason's.  
"You really need to stop inviting your moocher best friend over. He's beyond annoying."  
Jason just stared at me. "Wha-What did I miss?" He muttered, almost as if talking to himself.  
"Just world war 3." I hissed.  
"Okay..."  
I grabbed my clothes and pushed passed him, heading into my room.


	2. Counting Stars

**Lexi's POV**

She was battered. She was bruised. Her eye was black and blue and puffy. She had a huge cut across the side of her temple, and that area of skin was puffed up. She had another cut through her eyebrow. On the left side of her bottom lip was a large cut, almost separating her lips. Even her nose was black and blue. And she had little bruises all over her face. That was just her head. Needless to say, she was hideous. The very sight of her made me sick to my stomach. Looking directly at her was just ghastly. Just horrid. Just... ugly.  
Sadly, that girl, was what I saw whenever I looked in the mirror for a good chunk of that month. Whenever I was alone, I'd just look into my hand mirror and tell myself how ugly I was and how much I deserved this. In the back of my mind, I knew I didn't, but it surely felt like I did, and I was dead-set on convincing myself that I did.  
What I really couldn't stop thinking about, was Zak. How he rescued me. And that kiss... then Jason.. I just didn't know what to think. How do I act around him? I mean, it'd been a week since the incident. I told people I got into a fight at a club. Jason and Zak were the only ones who knew that was a lie. Zak knew the truth about Jarred. But I'm pretty sure Jason thought Zak did it to me. He hadn't invited him over ever since, and he'd been acting weird. I wanted to tell him the truth. About how amazing Zak was and how he saved me. But I knew if I did, it would ruin everything. Their friendship, and our potential... if there was even a potential there at all.  
I sat on my bed and picked up my phone. I unlocked it then went to pictures. I then selected a picture of the family, minus Mom and Dad of course, but me, Jason, Sam, Whitney, Keith, and of course Zak. Zak and I were next to each other. This was taken during the summer when we went to the derby. It was about 3 months ago. I just stared at the picture and smiled.  
"Lately, I've been, I've been losin' sleep,  
Dreamin' about the things that we could be,  
But baby, I've been, I've been prayin' hard,  
Said no more countin' dollars,  
We'll be countin' stars,  
Yeah, we'll be countin'... stars," I closed my eyes and fell back on my bed, dropping the phone. I licked my lips and opened my eyes. All I could see was my ceiling, but it quickly faded into the night sky. I looked around. I wasn't in my room anymore, I was in the middle of a field. I kept looking at the sky. It was beautiful. There was an endless amount of stars lighting up the sky. It was like a dream, a fantasy.  
The sky began spinning, not in a way that made me dizzy, but in a way that made me feel like I was one of the stars, like I was among them. I reached out, and I could almost touch them. I felt so powerful. My face light up. It was the first time I'd smiled since... well, I can't remember when.  
"I see this life,  
Like a swinging vine,  
Swing my heart across the line,  
In my face is flashing signs,  
Seek it out and ye shall find,  
Old, but I'm not that old  
Young, but I'm not that bold,  
And I don't think the world is sold,  
I'm just doing what we're told,  
I feel something so right,  
By doing the wrong thing,  
And I feel something so wrong,  
By doing the right thing,  
I could lie, could lie, could lie,  
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive."  
I stood up, I could feel power at my fingertips. I looked up at the sky and the stars were moving, to form something. It was a face. It faded and a painting of the face appeared. It was Zak. He began singing with me.  
"Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep,  
Dreaming about the things that we could be,  
But baby, I've been, I've been prayin' hard,  
Said no more counting dollars,  
We'll be counting stars,  
Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep,  
Dreaming about the things that we could be,  
But baby, I've been, I've been prayin' hard,  
Said no more counting dollars,  
We'll be, we'll be counting stars."  
Suddenly Zak's face was gone, everything fades and I was back in my bedroom. My door swung open. It was Jason. I quickly recollected my thoughts and looked at him. "What do you want?" I demanded.  
"Zak's coming over. Make yourself scarce."  
"It'll be like I'm not even here."  
"Good. After your falling out last week, he's been refusing to come over. I finally convinced him to come over if you left. So please, go."  
"Fine. He's nothing but an egotistic, ignorant, narcissistic, egocentric, dim-witted, preposterous swine." I didn't believe a word of that. Okay, maybe he was a little egotistic at times...  
"What big words for such a big slut." he chuckled.  
I ran to my door and kicked him, then slammed the door in his face. "Son of a bitch," I mumbled under my breath.  
I decided I'd go out to a club. No better way to spend my Saturday night than getting drunk with a bunch of horny strangers. Perfect. I grabbed my bag and my jean jacket, and headed out my bedroom door. I flew down the stairs and zipped towards the door. I swung it open and bolted for my car, but I barely made it out the door as I crashed into somebody, our heads colliding, and we tumbled to the ground. I hit my head on the floor but it wasn't that bad.  
I rubbed my throbbing head and sat up. Oh yipee. It was Zak. He gave me his hand and helped me stand up, as he stood up too. I took a step towards the door when he moved in front of me to stop me.  
"I think we should talk about the other day," he insisted.  
"Nothing to talk about," I answered, pushing past him and heading out the door.


End file.
